受苦之际仍不忘关心别人
哥林多后书一章1至11节
1奉神旨意作基督耶稣使徒的保罗和兄弟提摩太，写信给在哥林多神的教会，并亚该亚遍处的众圣徒。
2愿恩惠、平安从神我们的父和主耶稣基督归与你们！
3愿颂赞归与我们的主耶稣基督的父神，就是发慈悲的父，赐各样安慰的神。
4我们在一切患难中，他就安慰我们，叫我们能用神所赐的安慰去安慰那遭各样患难的人。
5我们既多受基督的苦楚，就靠基督多得安慰。
6我们受患难呢，是为叫你们得安慰，得拯救；我们得安慰呢，也是为叫你们得安慰；这安慰能叫你们忍受我们所受的那样苦楚。
7我们为你们所存的盼望是确定的，因为知道你们既是同受苦楚，也必同得安慰。
8弟兄们，我们不要你们不晓得，我们从前在亚西亚遭遇苦难，被压太重，力不能胜，甚至连活命的指望都绝了；
9自己心里也断定是必死的，叫我们不靠自己，只靠叫死人复活的神。
10他曾救我们脱离那极大的死亡，现在仍要救我们，并且我们指望他将来还要救我们。
11你们以祈祷帮助我们，好叫许多人为我们谢恩，就是为我们因许多人所得的恩。
信息分享
基督徒为甚么要受苦呢？理由可以有很多，但保罗在这里指出了受苦的其中一个目的，就是基督徒遭遇苦难，可使他更懂得安慰其他在苦难中的人。
高比思（Fanny Crobsy）写过很多优美的诗歌。当她讲述她童年时，如何因医生的误诊而导致失明时，她曾经说道：「这个错误令那个医生一生遗憾。诚然，这个不幸可能因医生的过失造成，但是，神却是不会弄错的。我真心相信神的心意是要我在黑暗中生活，以致我能更懂得唱诗赞美祂，并鼓励其他人颂赞祂。」
患难和压力对保罗造成甚么影响呢？第9节告诉我们，它们驱使他更亲近神。他从中学会了倚靠神而不再依仗自己，这使他对神的信心不断加增。要是神能够带领他经过那些患难，那么，祂必能带领他度过任何境况了（10节）。
同样地，我们遭遇的每一个经历，都应该促使我们更信靠神和祂的应许。我们的信心并不是单单建基在人生经历上，而是要以神自己和祂的话语作为基础。
此外，我们还得留意，保罗认定朋友的代祷对他很有帮助（11节），他经常提及这些代祷对他来说是何等重要。有没有朋友急需你的代祷呢？何不今天就祷告纪念他们？在神的恩手带领下，你的代祷可能会为其他信徒带来合时的鼓励和帮助。让我们就从今天开始！
你今天可以为谁代祷呢？
SUFFERING BUT STILL CARING
2 Corinthians 1:1-11
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,
11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
Message
Do you notice the words Paul used in these verses to describe his experiences? Troubles, sufferings, distress, hardships, pressure, despair and deadly peril - that is quite a list. We are not told the various situations Paul was referring to but it underlines the undeniable fact that Christians can and do suffer. Paul certainly did, for Christ's sake.
Why do Christians suffer? There are many reasons. Here Paul states (v.4) that one purpose of suffering in a Christian worker's (or in any Christian's) life is to make him or her able to comfort others.
The hymn-writer Fanny Crosby told how a doctor mistakenly placed the wrong medication in her eyes when she was very young. Later Fanny Crosby said, "That error was one of the great sorrows of his life. It may have been a blunder on his part, but it was no mistake on God's. I really believe it was God's intention that I should live my days in physical darkness so as to be better prepared to sing His praises and help others to do so."
What had suffering and pressure done to Paul? Verse 9 tells us that it had driven him back to God. He had learned to rely on Him and not on himself. It had increased his faith in God. If God could bring him through those experiences, God could bring him through anything (v.1 0).
In the same way every experience should strengthen our faith in God and in His promises. Faith must not be based on experience alone. It must rest firmly on God and on His Word.
Notice also that Paul acknowledged (v.11) the help of his friends' prayers. He often spoke of what they meant to him. Is there someone in need for whom you should be praying? Why not remember them today? Your prayer may be the means under God's hand for their encouragement or their deliverance. Do it today.
WHO ARE YOU PRAYING FOR TODAY?